Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
There's an old saying that what the right hand gives, the left hand takes away. This month, PET proponents in the U.S. know exactly what it means.
On one hand, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finally relented in its opposition to reimbursing the use of PET to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The agency also left open the possibility of funding the further use of PET for frontotemporal disorders, and other forms of dementia imaging.
PET providers welcomed news of the National Coverage Decision, as it's opened the door for neurological scanning in addition to the modality's more traditional role in oncology and cardiology.
On the other hand, their enthusiasm may be tempered by CMS' proposal to cut PET reimbursement between 20% to 38% in its 2005 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) rates.
And it's not only PET services that are facing reimbursement cuts: Rates for radiopharmaceuticals used in the exams, including 18-FDG, are set to be cut by more than 30% in 2005.
Independent diagnostic testing facilities are likely to see some fallout on the private payor side if the rates go into effect. The good news is that the lower rates are proposals -- you still have time to make your voice heard by CMS if you disagree with its plans.
As a Molecular Imaging Insider subscriber, you have access to this story before it's published for the rest of our AuntMinnie.com members. To read more about the proposed reimbursement cuts and what you can do to have your voice heard by CMS, check out the Insider Exclusive.
Finally, be sure to stop by and take a look at the recent updates in our online e-book Nuclear Medicine on the Internet, authored by Dr. Scott Williams of Advanced Radiology Consultants in Bridgeport, CT. You can check out Williams' most current postings by clicking here.
